Date of Award

Spring 2016

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Public Policy

First Advisor

Barry Feldman

Abstract

Mass public transportation has quickly become one of the hot topic issues throughout the country. Connecticut in particular has made significant investments in public transit and hopes to create a modern public transit system over the next two decades.

As part of the investment in public transit, there has also been significant investment in development planning around these newly created transit hubs. The development of the land around these hubs is oftentimes referred to as transit-oriented development (TOD). Rooted in TOD are principles of "new urbanism," an attempt to make places safer, walkable, and esthetically pleasing. In addition, TOD has become a strategy to increase economic development and enhance quality of life. There has been a significant uptick in the amount of investment in light rail and bus-rapid transit in various regions across the United States. We are seeing this play out with the significant investment in the CTfastrak bus-rapid transit system in central Connecticut.

This paper explores the theory around transit-oriented development as a economic development tool. The focus of the research is primarily on the initial impact of such investment in a weak real-estate market.

Comments

Master's Thesis completed at Trinity College, Hartford, CT, for the degree of Master of Arts in Public Policy.

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